"Oh, 'Chelle, I'm so proud that you'll let others inform us of an animal's abilities."

'Chelle sticks her tongue out. "Did you know that otters gang up on caymans and win? Not these ones. But other otters."

"And a cayman is?"

"Reptilian cousin of a crocodile and alligator, predator. They have a pair here in the reptile house. We can show you later."

"Ah." Zev looks back behind him, like he can see the reptile house. "They sound...delightful."

"You might have not realised this yet, but Ant is surprisingly fond of predators. I blame Ira."

"Ira's more a shark than anything else if you ask me..."

"I'm something of a big cat, myself. Still a predator, though I can be undone by chin scritches."

"That doesn't undo me."

Ira is rather suddenly right behind them.

Zev did not jump. He was very much unruffled by her sudden appearance. 

"I wouldn't try and pet a shark to begin with, let alone their chin."

"-Aquarium. We're taking you to an aquarium. Some sharks love scritches."

"Who's getting close enough to sharks to test that theory?"

"Well fed sharks don't attack."

"Wow. Is that some analogy for you, Ira?"

Ira snaps her teeth lazily at Lan, and something passes between them.

Huh. That was...interesting. 

"Well, I suppose with Aaren around we never have to worry about anyone not being well-fed."

"Yeah. Dad takes personal affront to anyone going unfed."

And here is a keeper to feed the otters! Who are all now clustering near the barrier, chirping eagerly.

Zev nudges 'Chelle, grinning at the chirping.

'Chelle nudges back and sticks her tongue out.

The keeper starts talking about the otters, the species in general, and also about their otters specifically - all of whom have names.

Nova leans into Zev and watches curiously.

"Finbar. That's an adorable name for an otter."

The keeper grins. "We do try to get adorable names for them. And sometimes we do have competitions to name new babies, not just the otters, all the animals."

"We know," Lan says with a grin. "'Chelle keeps entering them."

Zev watches as Finbar does little praying hands around his food. 

“Awww!”

The keeper finishes up his talk, and then takes questions from his...admittedly very small audience, but there's the impression he's done this talk to less.

'Chelle asks a couple, although that seems to be because she's pretty sure Zev and Nova won't, rather than a lack of knowledge on her part.

Zev seems pretty content to listen, half watching the otters. 

Nova is equally content. The keeper wraps up his talk, thanks them for their attention, and heads off to his other duties.